VAM Restoration

Subject: VAM Restoration Mon Jul 12, 2021 8:01 am

Since Chip was so gracious to send me three VAM sets for free, without asking anything
in return, I have wanted to get them outfitted.

I only had one VAM to put one of the sets on, so I looked and was able to get a VAM figure
for not too expensive. I think I posted a photo of this one before, but after getting him I
realized why I got him for an inexpensive price. He needed some work. No hands and floppy
as a rag doll.

Since I got him, I removed the original stringing, and washed him in warm, soapy water.
I then let him dry for a couple of days.

I tried using a crochet needle for restringing, but the one I got at a local store wasn't long
enough. I bought one off of Amazon, that that was more slender, but it was made of wood
and the hook broke off the first time I tried to pull the elastic through.

I took some thick wire, made a small hook on one end and and a "T" type handle on the other
end. And I made it long enough to completely reach through the chest cavity to hook easily
on the hooks that the Cotswold restringing kits have.

I used the hobby vise I got recently to hold him in place while pulling the elastic through.
I first tried the vise on a Joe torso, which one half turn too many cracked his chest. I had a replacement
and and tried the restringing process on it first. I just had to be careful while clamping the
vise on him. Small turns while seeing if it was tight enough to hold him.

After the restringing, I think the figure was put together from parts. The left forearm wouldn't
go far enough on the elbow peg. So I put the forearm in the vise and drilled it out a tad.
I may have gone too far with the drill bit, I got gripping hands from Cotswold for him and
the left hand didn't fit very tight. I put plumbers tape (known here as teflon tape) in a few
turns to build up the peg, which made it tight enough to fit well.

Here he is now.